Matthew Preece, a senior therapist at the UK Addiction Treatment group (Ukat), says there has been a “significant” increase in the number of people seeking treatment.

The group, which has traditionally treated people for alcohol, drug and gambling problems, says that it has seen the number of people wanting help with gaming addiction rise year-on-year from four in 2014 to 22 in 2018.

‘It consumed me’

Sean was one person who became addicted.

He was hooked on first-person shooter games – on one occasion spending a solid 48 hours in front of his computer.

“It just consumed me. At my absolute worst, I was gaming all day, every day,” he recalls.

“My children were like an inconvenience because they wanted my time, and I wasn’t able to give them my time and my love.

“I remember shouting at my partner, telling the children to go away.”

Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Gaming addiction has been listed as a mental health condition by the World Health Organization

The worse things became with Sean’s family, the more he retreated into gaming.

“I was being late into work, and it consumed my life to the point where I lost my job,” he explains.

“And I lost my family, my home – everything.”

Sean knew he had to change, and eventually checked into rehab – spending a month in treatment.

He has relapsed a few times since, but says he has been on track for the last 14 months.

The urge to play, he explains, “never goes away”.

“All I can do is make plans a day at a time, and right now everything is OK.”

Treatment centres

Experts say that spending hours playing video games in itself is not a problem, but that it can become one when it gets in the way of life – with negative consequences.

Last year, gaming addiction was listed as a mental health condition for the first time by the World Health Organization.

On the NHS, there is not currently any specialised treatment for gaming disorder.

Plans to run a pilot NHS gaming clinic in London have been delayed by ethics approval. Central and North West London Foundation Trust said it was hopeful that the plans would resume in future.

Ukat says that an increasing number of people are turning to the private sector for help with gaming.

Mr Preece believes the accessibility of games on tablets and mobile phones is a major driving force.

Image caption Therapist Matthew Preece believes games are being designed to be addictive

‘Massive incentive’

Several other treatment providers have also told the Victoria Derbyshire programme they have seen a rise in cases of gaming addiction.